January 11, 2024

Manchin, Capito Introduce Bill To Designate Clarksburg Federal Courthouse In Honor Of Judge Irene M. Keeley

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced bipartisan legislation to designate the Clarksburg Federal Courthouse as the “Irene M. Keeley United States Courthouse.”

Judge Keeley was the first woman appointed as a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, a position in which she served for over 30 years. After earning her law degree from West Virginia College of Law, Judge Keeley worked for more than a decade in the private sector before her nomination by President George H. W. Bush to be Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia in 1992. Judge Keeley served as the district’s court Chief Judge from March 2001 to March 2008. She took inactive senior status on September 30, 2022.

“I have long admired Judge Keeley’s unwavering commitment to the pursuit of justice. As the former Chief Judge and first woman to serve on the bench for the Northern District of West Virginia, her judicial career has been guided by fairness, accountability, and compassion. Judge Keeley’s decades of service make this tribute beyond deserving. I will continue to support efforts to dedicate the Clarksburg Federal Courthouse in her honor knowing that her legacy will inspire the next generation of legal professionals in West Virginia,” said Senator Manchin.

“Judge Keeley devoted her career to the cause of justice and worked honorably as the first female judge for the Northern District of West Virginia,” said Senator Capito. “I thank her for her service and feel that designating the Clarksburg Federal Courthouse in her honor is a fitting tribute for the decades of dedication to her state and country, in addition to being a trailblazer for women across West Virginia. There is no one else more deserving of this recognition and I am proud to introduce this bill to commend her achievements and look forward to shepherding it through the EPW Committee.”